AN: Hi! Many thanks to Vaniwa, galwidanatitud, and MiniHorseMeadow for reviewing, and thanks to linnterr, and Katnthe box for favouriting and following :)

Song: Coldplay - Hymn For The Weekend.

~ Chapter 20 ~

Violet walked into the small pantry and she shut the door behind her. She closed her eyes, then slid down the wall. Everyone was fretting over talking to Rick about where we should head next, but she was growing tired of listening to it all.

The door opened and Daryl walked in. He left the door open a fraction so some light came in, then he sat down opposite her. "We need to talk."

Violet stared at him blankly. She didn't have any energy to talk seriously. "Talk."

"Girl, I'm sorry," He breathed out. "Never meant to hurt ya."

"Well you did," She said.

"I've never had anyone say that to me before," He admitted, and she played with her fingers, avoiding eye contact with him. "I can't give ya what you want."

"And how do you know what I want?" Her gaze flew to his. "Daryl, I can't help how I feel about you. It just seemed like the right time to say it, but I guess not."

"You can't love me," He grunted.

"Are you kidding me?" She sighed. "Daryl, if you don't want me then that's fine. It's gotten to the point where I'm too tired to fight for you, because you never want to fight for me."

She stared at him and he just blinked back at her. She sighed and brought her knees up to her chest.

"If you want me, then tell me how you feel."

"Violet, I don't know how I feel!" He hissed. "I dunno' how to tell ya that you're all I think about. That I can't think straight when I'm with ya, or how my heart ain't able to slow down when I'm with you! I've never felt like this about anyone in my life. You're the most prettiest woman I've ever seen, and I constantly think what the hell I've done ta deserve ya! All I've been thinkin' about is how I can give ya the best life with our baby! I get that it's unexpected, but I wanna' take care of ya! I wanna' know that every time I leave, I have someone waitin' for me to come home. I wanna' have someone worth fightin' for. That's you! I never knew that I wanted anythin' like this, until I met you!"

Everyone had grown silent in the house and she knew that they had heard the whole thing. She crawled closer to him and crossed her legs in front of him. He was red in the face from his outburst and she reached out brushing his hair from his face. His cheeks were warm as she stroked them with her thumbs, and she leaned forward, pressing her lips against his.

He inhaled sharply and cupped the back of her head. She straddled his hips, and nestled herself closer to him. She brought her lips away from him and looked into his eyes.

"I never expected you to say it back to me," She whispered. "I just wanted to know what you saw me as."

"I see you as my girl," He grunted, and she smiled widely. "Can I clean up ya hand?" She nodded her head, and they got up, left the pantry and sat down at the wooden table. Daryl grabbed some of the medical supplies from the crate on the table, and he grabbed her hand.

"Did I do a good job, even though Lori's not here?" She asked, and he glanced away from her hand.

"You did a good job Violet," He whispered. "You couldn't have saved her from a walker scratch."

"I know. I wish I could have though…I'm just scared, what if, you know…" She trailed off and looked down at her stomach.

"That ain't gonna' happen."

"You don't know that Daryl," She said. "We haven't got a safe place…I'm scared."

"Ain't nothin' gonna' happen," He grumbled. "I told ya I'll keep you safe."

"You can't promise me that," She sighed and she played with her hair. It was hard and clumped with dirt and blood. "I need a shower."

"I know ya kinda' stink," He remarked, and she giggled, whilst thumping his arm.

"We're gonna' stay the night, then head out tomorrow," Glenn walked into the kitchen and they looked over.

"Okay," Violet replied. "Where are we going to go next?"

Maggie walked in with a map and she rolled it out on the table. Daryl continued to clean up her hand, whilst Violet observed the map.

"That herd from the motel shouldn't be far behind, but I reckon we can last a night," Violet explained. "We need to head further away from the motel in hope that the herd will go in another direction. Is there any big buildings nearby?"

"There's a couple of warehouses," Maggie said, and she pointed some out.

"Do you think it's worth this risk?"

"We could scout them out in the morning," Glenn looked over Maggie's shoulder. "I could go in the morning."

"I'll come with you," Maggie replied.

Violet scanned the map, and she understood the roads, but the buildings weren't clearly labeled. The warehouse would be about an hour and a half away from here, so it would be better than staying at the house. She noticed something on the far end of the map.

"What's that?" She asked, pointing at it.

"A private school," Maggie said. "It's where all the rich kids went. I remember daddy complained about it a lot. I've seen it before, it has brick walls and everything. It's around three times the size of the farm."

"That sounds perfect," Violet smiled at her. "We should head there."

"There's no guarantee that those walls are still gonna' be standin'," Daryl looked at the map and she rolled her eyes.

"Have a little faith," She muttered. "Wouldn't you rather have a place that has possibilities than nothing at all?"

"She's right," Maggie responded. "I like the sound of that."

"Do you wanna' go talk to everyone about it?" Glenn asked.

"Why me?" Violet retorted. "I ain't the leader."

"You might as well be, did you or did you not just find a place that we could stay at?" Maggie questioned.

"I did, but-"

"Rick isn't in the right frame of mind and someone needs to step up and take charge."

"Daryl can do it," She glanced at him, but he shook his head.

"Girl you've got some good ideas, take charge," She breathed out a sigh, then she nodded her head.

"Okay, I'll do it."

…

Violet felt someone shake her awake. She opened her eyes and saw it was Daryl. "What's wrong?" She whispered, so she didn't disturb everyone.

"Hershel left me a list of things we need, so I'm gonna' go and get the stuff now, so we don't waste time tomorrow," He explained.

"I'll come with you-"

"Go back to sleep darlin', I'll be fine on my own, it's still dark out, so I can move around without being seen," He kissed her forehead, and walked over to the door. She wrapped the blanket over her shoulders and followed him. "I'm gonna' take the boards off, so push the table in front of it and I'll knock four times so you know it's me."

"Okay, are you sure you'll be okay?" She asked and he nodded his head, whilst he quietly removed the boards. He opened the door and turned around to face her.

"See you in a bit baby girl," He kissed her quickly, then she watched him disappear into the darkness. She shut the door, then pulled the table in front of it.

Violet glanced at her brother, who was sleeping on Frank's chest. Carol was asleep on one of the arm chairs and she saw her blanket was slipping from her body, so she walked over and placed it back on her. She heard a grunting sound come from one of the rooms. She walked over, and opened the door.

Rick was sitting at the side of the bed with his head in his hands, and Carl was asleep next to him. She walked over and sat down next to him quietly. "When I lost my mom and dad, Frank always told me that these things are meant to happen," She whispered, so she didn't wake Carl. "At the time, I got angry at him for saying things like that, but now, I realize that these things do happen for a reason. People die by accident or because it's their fault, but we all have to face that judgement whether it's early on in our years or later. Lori died on accident, but she also sacrificed her own life…I suggested that I cut off her arm, but she told me to save the baby, so I did. With an old life comes and new life, and I know that Judith wouldn't have come into this world without Lori dying, because her chances were pretty much a zero…I get that it's hard, and I feel like I have to face the hard truth about what may happen to me, but at least I know that if I die, Daryl will be there to look after the baby. Lori told me that she knew that if she died, you would be there to look after the baby…so don't let your grief faze your judgement Rick, because the group needs you and so does your son and daughter."

"Where did it all go wrong?" His voice was rough. "Before this world, I had a perfect family, but now, I mean the baby might not even be mine-"

"Judith needs a father, and that's going to be you," She said. "Even though she may not be yours, I know that you will protect that little girl with your life. I know this, because you're only human Rick, that little girl didn't ask for any of this, she's just lost her mother and what she needs is a dad, which is you, biological or not."

"When did you get so smart?"

"Maternal instincts," She whispered. "Tomorrow we're gonna' leave this place behind, then head towards a school. I pointed it out on the map, and Maggie said it had brick walls surrounding it, because it was a private school for rich kids. It has potential."

"You're doing a better job than me," He grunted. "I couldn't even find us a safe place."

"I found a place Rick, and you're gonna' get us there," She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever you say, captain."

The next morning they were all up when the sun began to rise. They were packing everything back up and placing them in the car and truck. Beth was cradling Judith and feeding her some formula in the kitchen, whilst Violet put the plastic lid on the crate of food.

"How is he?" Beth asked.

"Rick?" She nodded her head. "He's just filled with grief at the moment."

"I know," She mused and she stared down at Judith. "I was gonna' go and see if he was okay, but I dunno' where we stand."

"Everything's complicated right now," Violet reminded her.

"I know," She repeated. "You did a good job."

"I couldn't save her though," She retorted and Beth shook her head at her.

"You did what you could and you saved Judith," She reminded her and Violet shrugged her shoulders.

Daryl walked into the kitchen and he glanced at Beth, who got the message and left the room. She smiled over at him and he placed a couple of books on the table. "Pregnancy 101," She read out loud, then her smile widened.

"I found 'em last night," He grunted. "Thought they might be useful...and," He reached into his pocket. "Happy birthday."

"What?" She glanced at the locket in his hand, then she looked into his eyes.

"Beth's been keepin' track of the days, and she told me it's your birthday today," He placed it around her neck and did the clasp at the back. She pulled her hair out of it, and she turned to face him. "Girl, why are ya cryin' for?"

"I'm sorry," She hiccupped a sob, and wiped away her tears. "These damn hormones are all over the place. Thank you," She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "You can be a real sweetheart sometimes."

"Girl, never call me that again."

"Why not sweetheart," She grinned up at him, and she saw there was a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Knock it off."

"C'mon lets go," She kissed him quickly, then she picked up the books and walked out the house.

Everyone was getting themselves seated, and she glanced back at Daryl. "Ya ridin' with me?"

"Of course," She skipped down the steps, and handed Carol the books through the truck window, then she got onto the back of Daryl's bike.

They drove off and she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, resting her cheek on his back. She felt safe where she was and she had a new sense of hope coursing through her veins. This was going to be a good day, she could feel it in her bones. They were going to head off to the warehouse Glenn left to check, and it was deep in the woods, so they were safe from any people on the road. It was surrounded by a low fence, but he said that it would hold up for a night. They were going to have to carry their things to the warehouse, because there was no way to get to it with the vehicles.

But, Violet still saw the good in all these possibilities. Today was going to be a good day.

…

They walked across the field, hoping that they would eventually make it to the warehouse. It was dangerous for them to all be out in the open but there was no way to get the vehicles to the warehouse. They had hidden them so no one could steal them, because everything they needed to survive was in them.

Violet was feeling hot and bothered from the sun and she let go of Daryl's hand when she saw the small stream. She nudged his arm and gestured she was going over and they all stopped for a break. She walked through the long grass and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

That's when it happened. She felt the pain, the hot surge like she had just been shot again. Then a scream which she didn't know she was capable of, screeched through her lips and she crumbled to the floor.

Bear trap.

Daryl was the first to get to her and she tried to sit up but she screamed again lying down in the grass. Hershel appeared next to her and he took Daryl's place by her foot then he appeared above her face. Her ears started to go weird and she knew he was saying something to her but it sounded like she was under water. She tried to reach out and grab onto him but her arm felt like it had weights attached to them.

He carried on shouting something at her but she couldn't focus on it, all it sounded like was vibrations. He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. She looked at him with a confused expression and he stroked her hair from her face.

Then the words he was saying began to break through the sound barrier. "It's gonna' hurt."

Her eyes clamped shut and she screeched at the top of lungs when she felt Hershel and Rick pull at the trap around her ankle. Daryl propped her up and forced her face into his chest to muffle her screams but they soon began to fade back to vibrations so she had no idea how loud she was screaming.

She glanced up at the sky and she saw a single bird fly across the cloudless scene. She tried to swallow the lump at the back of her throat, but it wouldn't disappear. She could no longer feel the pain in her leg. It was numb and she felt like she was a cloud, like she was about to float away.

"Follow me," This unfamiliar voice sounded distant to her. "We can help."

She wanted to scream out 'no', but she felt herself float away into darkness.

...

She heard something beeping loudly. Her eyes fluttered open and she was met by a blinding white light. She immediately closed her eyes then she opened them, slowly giving herself a chance to adjust to the brightness.

Violet turned her head and she saw the wires attached to her arms and she glanced at the heart monitor. Her head was pounding and she flinched. Then, she saw that her leg was in a cast. My foot...still there, thank fuck for that.

She felt someone grab her hand, and she turned to look at Daryl. "The baby-"

"Is fine," He grunted, and he got up from the chair, and towered over her. "How are ya feelin'?"

"I can't feel my leg," She whimpered.

"You're on a lot of painkillers," He explained. "The bear trap was crap, so it wasn't as strong. It broke ya leg, but it coulda' done worse."

"I could've lost my foot?" He nodded his head. "I swear I was careful. I promise you I wouldn't get myself in danger. I just didn't look where I was going, Daryl I'm so sorry-"

"Stop apologizin' girl," He moved her hair from her face. "It coulda' happened to any of us."

"But it happened to me. The magnet for trouble. I was trying to prove a point that I wasn't just good for getting myself into trouble!" She sat up and he reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Baby girl," He grunted. "Ya did nothin' wrong. Now, I thought you'd be askin' me more questions about where we are."

"Where are we?" She furrowed her eyebrows, and glanced around the infirmary.

"Army base," He said. "Some of the guards were patrolling the woods when they heard ya screamin', so they helped us get you back here and the doctors removed the bear trap and fixed you up. I told them you were pregnant, so they did some tests and found out that the baby is fine. They're genuine people, and there's a community of people here. There's even a massive concrete wall surrounding this place."

"You look happy," She whispered, then she touched his face. "I love seeing you like this, sweetheart."

"Girl, stop it," He grumbled and she kissed his lips. "I love you."

"Your awake," The door opened and Violet jumped. "I'm Dr. Nottingham, how are you feeling Violet?" He grabbed a clipboard and stood at the end of the bed.

"My legs numb," She said.

"That's perfectly normal," He scribbled something down on the piece of paper, then he walked over and shined his small torch in her eyes. "Any abdominal pains?"

"You said the baby was fine," She replied, with panic in her tone.

"The baby is fine. You've got a healthy eight week old baby," He explained. "So, any abdominal pains?" She shook her head. "Excellent."

"How long will my leg take to heal?" She asked.

"At least six weeks," He replied. "You were lucky that it was an old bear trap, but unfortunately it was one with pointy teeth. It broke the bone and may have caused some nerve damage, but we won't be able to tell until it's fully healed and we can take the cast off. Overall, you're doing okay, but you will be needing a fair amount of painkillers."

"Thank you," She smiled at him, and he returned it.

"You can use one of the wheelchairs to get around, then your dad will be able to push you around," He glanced at Daryl, and his face scrunched up in disgust.

"Hell no I ain't her dad!" He hollered.

"Oh, my mistake. Your friend can push you around," He corrected himself. "I'm also a psychologist, and I do believe that your leader is in some desperate need of therapy," With that he left, and Violet bit her bottom lip and glanced at Daryl's fuming face.

"C'mon, don't worry about it," She placed her hand on his arm. "And don't you dare go funny with me, because he's said that! Go grab me a wheelchair, so you can show me around this place.